The invention concerns a textile machine with a fiber band feed apparatus and a guide element for guiding the fiber band and with a band monitor for detection of band breakage.
In the case of stretch (draw-frame) or flyer textile machines, a feed apparatus for fiber bands is known which is designed as a feed rack or feed table.
With the feed apparatus, that is with a feed rack or a feed table, as a rule, the fiber band is removed from an already positioned can and conducted to the textile machine.
The fiber band taken out of the can is removed upwardly in a vertical direction and then turned by a band guide in a generally horizontal direction. On the way to the stretch machine, the fiber band is taken through further band guides and guided horizontally. This corresponds to a feed rack.
In contrast to this, in the case of a feed table, the band directional turn is made by a driven means, that is, the band guide is designed as a pair of rolls, wherein the under roll is driven and the fiber is conveyed between the said pair of rolls. Additional sequential band guides correspond to those of the feed rack, that is, they are not driven.
Since, obviously, a band guide has the duty of guiding a fiber band, its meaning is completely encompassed in the concept "guide element".
Upon the installation of a feed apparatus, the valid principle is to recognize a band break in the area of the feed apparatus even before its entry into the textile machine, and to recognize this as soon as possible. The feed apparatus can also be applied, however, if the fiber band is to be received from a prior, fiber band generating, textile machine. Even in this case, there is to be in the feed apparatus a guide element with an installed band monitor.
As is shown by EP 302 322 A2, a known band guide guides a fiber band in a feed apparatus and, at the same time, detects a break in said band. A band break releases a signal through the band monitor, which signal is then employed to shut down the machine before the entry of the band end occurs. In this case, the band monitor is integrated into the band guide.
In the band guide, the single fiber band is run between two vertically disposed, outer entries to the band guide. The fiber band slides, in this operation, on a guide surface of the band guide. When sliding on this guide surface, the fiber band undergoes no change from the guided direction. The band guide is equipped with a band monitor for the detection of a band break. The band monitor is integrated into the guide surface of this band guide. This requires special manufacture and technologic integration of the band monitor in the band guide. No conventional band monitor is applicable, but a custom made unit is required. Since the sliding fiber band produces a permanent heating on the guide surface, the integrated electronics of the band guide must assure a high degree of temperature control. These related necessities in their totality, lead to the fact that this band guide with the integrated monitor is very expensive.
The placement of a guide element (band guide) and a conventional band monitor did not bring the desired result since the said monitor, during machine operation, registered band breaks where there were none. These erroneous signals interrupts the smooth running of production.